Democratic Party of Orange County endorses its largest slate of local candidates in recent history, and more than half are women

August 21, 2018 – Orange, Calif. —Marking a powerful new indicator of Democratic activism in Orange County, the Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) today announces it will release its largest slate of endorsed Democratic candidates in recent history.

Nearly twice as many Democrats are seeking endorsement for local Orange County races this year compared to the 2016 Presidential election cycle just two years ago.

More than half of candidates in DPOC’s first round of endorsements are women. This is a significant increase over national averages: only 20% of local offices in the U.S. are currently occupied by women, according to the Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University (http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/current-numbers).

The diversity of candidates extends even further: a whopping 75% of candidates in DPOC’s first round of endorsements are either a woman, a person of color, LGBT, or under the age of 40.

This marks a huge accomplishment for DPOC in its work to build a bench of local elected officials, and is yet another indicator of a trending “blue wave” in the November 2018 Midterms in Orange County.

“Momentum is growing in our neighborhoods at the local level,” said Fran Sdao, Chair of the Democratic Party of Orange County. “Our endorsed candidates have the energy and ideas to care for Orange County’s future. Our candidates talk with neighbors to create better solutions for housing, safety, jobs and more.”

This news emerges as DPOC releases its first of two waves of endorsements. The second endorsement slate of city council, school district and water district candidates will be voted upon at the next regular Democratic Party of Orange County Central Committee meeting on Monday, August 27th.

About The Democratic Party of Orange County

The Democratic Party of Orange County (DPOC) is the official Democratic Party organization representing over half a million registered Democratic voters in Orange County, California, the nation’s sixth-largest county.

The voter gap in Orange County dropped from 22% in 1990 to just 2.6% in 2018, and is still closing. In 2016, Orange County voters chose a Democrat for President for the first time since 1936, and put four Orange County-based US House seats into play in national efforts to retake the House in 2018. To volunteer or donate to elect strong Democrats, visit DPOC at www.ocdemocrats.org, email us at info@ocdemocrats.org, or call (714) 634-DEMS.